Kaleidoscope Theatre takes on Pinter, Beckett in original show

For a certain strain of theater lover, the works of Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter represent some of the high achievements of 20th century drama. While the styles of these major writers differed significantly, they asked common questions in their plays about human power, aspiration and death.

At Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions, several short works by these two major playwrights will be paired with a series of original dances choreographed for the occasion by local artists. The show, “Beckett Dances with Pinter,” opens Friday and runs through June 22 in the Lecture Hall Theatre at Medaille College (18 Agassiz Circle).

The cast’s “dynamic and dramatic usage of movement and language,” a release on the original production notes, “echoes the Everyman’s struggle to function as an individual against the often invisible and insurmountable forces acting to constrain him.”

The cast includes Britany Hagen, Geoff Pictor and Keith Wharton. Tickets are $15 to $20. For more information, call 479-1587 or visit kaleidoscopebuffalo.com.